


I'll Have A Starling

by Katherine



Category: His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman, White Collar
Genre: Alternate Universe - Daemons, Daemons, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 06:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19864837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katherine/pseuds/Katherine
Summary: Peter had seen, from the files on Neal and from his own years of pursuing him, some of Neal's talent in this very particular area of deception that used an artist's skill. The files contained descriptions, for the most part, but very occasionally a photograph. Those documented that Neal transformed his starling daemon for a con.





	I'll Have A Starling

Peter had seen, from the files on Neal and from his own years of pursuing him, some of Neal's talent in this very particular area of deception that used an artist's skill. The files contained descriptions, for the most part, but very occasionally a photograph. Those documented that Neal transformed his starling daemon for a con.

Not for Neal the low-level confidence trick, concealing his daemon in a pocket or bag. He had instead modified her; painted her speckling to darker, added shaping to her beak, sometimes crimped longer feathers to her tail.

There was a disconcerting intimacy to watching the step by step transformation. Peter and his own daemon watched, fascinated despite themselves.

What Neal was doing this time, for the job he and Peter were expected to do together, was another level of detail. He had the tiny pieces to reshape her beak set by for the last step. Having already strategically bleached her feathers paler, Neal had a tiny paintbrush in hand, adding a wash of red.

"Strawberry finch," Neal said, as he set down the brush and selected another. "Memorable, isn't she?"

Flamboyant, in fact—appropriately enough for the soul of Neal the half-reformed con. In between each of the adjustments to her feathers, Neal's daemon posed herself with bright-eyed pride.


End file.
